SC threatens to throw SpiceJet CMD into ‘Tihar Jail’ over non-payment of dues to Swiss firm
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has come down hard on SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh, warning him he will be sent to Tihar Jail for non-compliance with its order on making payment to global investment bank and financial services firm Credit Suisse AG.
The top court asked Singh to pay $5,00,000 towards an instalment to the Swiss firm along with $1 million defaulted amount.
“We have to move to the next drastic step. We are not worried even if you shut down,” a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah observed.
Irked over the “dilly-dally business”, the bench told Singh he will have to abide by the consent terms and warned,
“We are not bothered even if you die. It is too much. We will send you to Tihar Jail, if you do not pay.”
The court’s fulmination came on Monday when it asked Singh and the company secretary of SpecieJet to be present during the hearings and make the payment. It posted the matter for further hearing on September 22.
According to the Swiss firm, SpiceJet had availed the services of SR Technics, Switzerland, for maintenance, repair, and overhaul of aircraft engines, modules, components, assemblies, and parts, which were mandatory for its operations. An agreement for such services was entered into between SpiceJet and SR Technics on November 24, 2011 for 10 years. The terms
of payments were also agreed upon. SR Technics had given Credit Suisse the right to receive payments from SpiceJet for the services.
The apex court had on July 25 given additional time to SpiceJet to make the payment to Credit Suisse as per the consent terms agreed upon by the two parties. The top court was hearing a plea by the
Swiss firm seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Singh and SpiceJet over “a wilful and intentional
disobedience” of court orders and failure to pay dues as per a settlement between the two sides.
On August 14, the bench while issuing contempt notices to Singh and SpiceJet had noted the submission of the Swiss firm that the apex court had granted indulgence and withdrawn the airline from liquidation only in view of the consent terms dated May 23, 2022 by which $500,000 was to be paid every month by the low cost carrier to the company from July 15, 2020. “It was submitted that, though as of now more than 6.5 million US dollars has to be deposited, but only a little over 2 million US dollars has been deposited,” the bench had noted the submission of counsel appearing for Credit Suisse in its August 14 order.
With pti inputs
